American Receives First ROPS-equipped A319

Woodrow Bellamy III

American Airlines received its first Airbus A319 equipped with the Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS), Airbus said Tuesday.

ROPS, an onboard cockpit technology designed to increase situational awareness during landing, recently achieved certification from the FAA for the A320 family aircraft, including the A319, A320ceo (current engine option) and A321. According to Airbus, the ROPS system computes minimum realistic in-flight landing and on-ground stopping distances and compares them to available landing distances in real time based on aircraft weight and configuration.

The system has been flying on most of the worldwide A380 fleet since 2009, when it was first approved by the EASA. In 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) advised the FAA to begin pursuing aircraft and avionics manufacturers developing technology that would reduce runway excursions, which is the leading cause of commercial aviation accidents.

Airlines are able to reduce their insurance premiums for aircraft that are equipped with ROPS technology, Airbus said.

"Certification by the global authorities of commercial aviation is a testament to their belief in this system and the multi-tiered benefit it will bring to our airline as well as the industry,” said John Hale, vice president of flight operations at American Airlines.